Holy Money

Dealing honorably in business is the acid test for whether religion is truly relevant.

Many have a mistaken idea of what is within the scope of Jewish tradition. People know that lighting Chanukah candles, observance of Shabbat, laws of Kashrut, etc., are the purview of rabbis. But many have an attitude that "If I don't tell the rabbi how to run his business, the rabbi shouldn't tell me how to run mine." Very often, we live fragmented, dichotomized lives where what we do in the office from 9-to-5 (or if you're a workaholic, from 8-to-7) is our own private affair, and then at home we observe the holidays and rituals of Judaism.

The Talmud discusses the questions people are asked by God after their deaths. The very first question we are held accountable for -- even before issues of religious practice -- is "Nasata V'netata Be'emunah," which means "did you conduct your business affairs ethically?"

Ritual behavior and social behavior are all part of the same religious structure.

Throughout the Torah, there is constant juxtaposition between ritual commands and the ethical obligations of one human being to another. One verse may say, "Don't worship idols," followed by, "Do not cheat, do not misrepresent, do not engage in fraud" (Leviticus 19). Dichotomy between ritual behavior and social behavior is foreign to Judaism, because they are all part of the same God-given morality, the same religious structure.

Business ethics is the arena where the ethereal transcendent teachings of holiness and spirituality most directly confront the often grubby business of making money, of being engaged in the rat race that often comprises the marketplace. It is the acid test of whether religion is truly relevant, or religion is simply relegated to an isolated sphere of human activity. It is business ethics, one could posit, above all, that shows how God co-exists in the world, rather than God and godliness being separate and apart.

YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIFE

We say in the Shema, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might." What is the reference to "all your might"? Rashi explains that we are enjoined to love God with all our money.

This raises a question: If God already says to love God with all your soul (even to the extent of giving up your life, if necessary), then why does the verse continue and say to serve God with all your money?

The answer, Rashi explains, is that some people prefer their money to their lives and, therefore, if the verse would simply say to "serve God with your life," we wouldn't necessarily infer to serve God with all our money. It’s like the famous Jack Benny joke; he’s approached by a mugger who says, "Your money or your life," and he says, "Let me think about it a bit."

What exactly is the concept of serving God with all your money? Certainly, God does not wish us to take oaths of poverty. God does not require us to renounce material wealth. So how does one serve God with money?

In the accumulation of wealth, there is also a mechanism to serve God.

The short answer is: with the probity and integrity by which we amass those possessions. In the conduct of our business, in the accumulation of our wealth, there is also a mechanism to serve God.

On Yom Kippur, we spend an entire day beating our breasts, confessing our sins over and over and over again, and sometimes we don't even know what we've done wrong. Maimonides tells us that we often fail to realize that every sin has many implications. For example, if you confess to God, "I'm sorry for the murders I've committed," you might think, "Well I haven't killed anybody." Keep in mind, however, the Talmud says, that humiliating somebody publicly is tantamount to murder. There are all sorts of repercussions. Maybe I didn't commit murder by shooting somebody, but perhaps I did not take the steps I could have as a member of society to reduce the crime rate.

After a whole day of beating one's breast, we come to the end of Yom Kippur -- the prayer of Neilah, the final moments of beseeching God. The Neilah confessional (viduy) is only a few short paragraphs. But the one thing it stresses is theft. We ask God to forgive us for the appropriation of other people's property. The Talmud says that while only a minority of people commit sexual offenses, most people sin in matters of theft.

ANCIENT CHUTZPAH

The Torah has 613 mitzvot, one of which is Kedoshim Tiyu -- "Be holy." What does that mean? Doesn’t "be holy" simply come through doing the other 612? Or is there some extra dimension that this mitzvah entails?

The great commentator Nachmanides tells us that Kedoshim Tiyu is a requirement of a Jew not to just obey the letter of the law, but to obey the spirit of the law as well. Nachmanides posits that it is entirely possible for a person to be 100 percent observant, and yet be a "Naval Bi-reshut HaTorah" -- a repulsive, disgusting individual within the confines of the law.

It is not enough to just obey the law. There is also the concept of "Lifnim Mishurat HaDin" -- going beyond the law and embracing the ethical imperatives that are within that legal structure.

A Talmudic story illustrates this in the business context. The sage Raba Bar-Bar Chana once hired workers to transport barrels of wine. The workers were negligent, and as a result, the barrels of wine broke, causing the rabbi a severe financial loss. He took the workers to court, suing them for the value of the wine.

The workers' only defense was, "We are poor and can't afford to pay you back."

The court ruled in favor of the workers.

You must go beyond pressing your exact legal rights.

Raba Bar-Bar Chana protested: "Doesn’t the law entitle me to compensation for their negligence?"

The court said, "The letter of the law agrees with you. But as a righteous person, you have to take into account the particular fact that these are poor people. Therefore, you must go beyond pressing your exact legal rights."

The story gets even better. In an ancient example of chutzpah, the workers turned around and sued for the wages they were never paid for that day. And again, astoundingly, the court ruled in favor of the workers. "These are people who need the money, and therefore you must go beyond the law."

LITIGIOUS SOCIETY

Torah teaches us to live in this world, a world that is a mixture of good and evil. And it’s a world where other people don't always play by the same rules. But the test of a moral person is not whether he behaves morally when others are behaving morally to him. The test of a moral person is one who can adhere to those values even if everyone else fails to adhere to them.

A moral person can adhere to values even if everyone else fails.

One problem in American society is that too many are obsessed with asserting rights to the fullest. Alexander de Toqueville remarked over 200 years ago that Americans are a litigious society, that we go to court over the smallest drop of the hat. We've become a "rights-oriented" society rather than an "obligation-oriented" society.

Judaism teaches, above all, don't always press your claims to the fullest. Deal with the other person in a spirit of tolerance, acceptance and compromise.

Through adherence to ethics in business, we bring the redemption, because we create a peaceful world, a world where we're not looking after number one, a world where we have a shared sense of community. That paves the way for the Messiah, paves the way for the ultimate redemption of humanity that we hope and pray for.

This article was originally posted on the "Jewish Law" website, www.jlaw.com, and was modified and re-posted with the permission of the author.

This article is featured in Aish.com's book:Heaven on Earth. Buy it now!

About the Author

Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz is the Rabbi of the Woodside Synagogue in
Silver Spring, MD and is a law professor at the University of Maryland
Law School. He is the author of "Between Civil and Religious Law; The
Plight of the Agunah in American Society" (Greenwood Press).

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 9

(9)
niwamanya godfrey,
October 10, 2014 12:00 PM

keep on sending good messages

good ideas

(8)
james davis,
January 14, 2002 12:00 AM

This is an excellent article. We must remember that the worship of G-d must permeate every aspect of our existence. It's been said that it's easy to be a tzaddik in one's home or in the synagogue, but to be tzaddik in the marketplace, that is a different story.

(7)
seth weisberg,
January 13, 2002 12:00 AM

Broken Barrels

the ruling Raba Bar-Bar Chana received regarding the broken barrels could have a consequence damaging to poor people. If poor people can't be held responsible for losses, why would people hire them to haul? In the short term the ruling is generous to them, but in the long, might it have a "chilling effect?"

(6)
Silky Pitterman,
January 9, 2002 12:00 AM

The truly religious are ethical in business

I work in a business where I deal 99% with Orthodox Jews ranging from Chasidic to Yeshivish to Sephardic. I find that most of my customers are good people. Some people forget that how you behave in business is part of being religious but unfortunatly at the end of the day, it is those people that you remember

(5)
karl rose,
January 8, 2002 12:00 AM

Fairness

Isn't everybody to be judged fairly? Regardless of their station in life...is it not so that some men through their own laziness and self pity, cry out to us, those who have to make judgement calls about what they must pay. I have to do that in my line of work and found out over a long period of time that God would want me to treat each man regardless of wealth, with compassion. When I let God in to my decision making process,he answers me and I feel that Iam not alone in making that decision.
As far as American culture and I love America for its liberty and freedoms. She as a country teaches their are the strong and their are the weak. The bullies push you around and in order to fight back you go to court. It seems to be that is where good and evil fight it out, in a legal context. I'll close here. Karl:)

(4)
Jeffrey Perlman,
January 7, 2002 12:00 AM

fresh air

Your article is a breath of fresh air. I, too, practice law. I often find the younger attorneys filing motions over minimal issues, and donning a feigned sense of self-rightousness. Torah is like an owners manual for a n'shema. That is to say, DOING Torah and mitzvos is inclusive of simply reading them, and therefore, superior.

(3)
Anonymous,
January 6, 2002 12:00 AM

Interesting but....

A good discourse, but I believe a rather confusing "example" chosen to illustrate the concept of "fairness" in business dealings.

(2)
bea garoon,
January 6, 2002 12:00 AM

outstanding commentary

I've just finished reading "Postville:
by Steven Bloom. If you haven't read it
forget this question: How do respond to
the questionable business practices of this community of chassidim?

(1)
Anonymous,
January 6, 2002 12:00 AM

Great article

I was very happy to see this article. It pains me to see members of our community passing judgment on "who's religious" based on outward appearances or their own version of the mitzvot that are important, while at the same time running their businesses in a fashion that brings dishonor to us all -- I speak of slumlords, sweatshop managers, and the like. The inference of course being that they only need to obey the mitzvot that THEY feel are important.Thank you again.

This year during Chanukah I will be on a wilderness survival trip, and it will be very difficult to properly celebrate the holiday. I certainty won't be able to bring along a Menorah.

So if I am going to celebrate only one day of Chanukah, which is the most significant?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

If a person can only celebrate one day of Chanukah, he should celebrate the first day.

This is similar to a case where a person is in prison, and the authorities agree to permit him to go to synagogue one day. The law is that he should go at the first opportunity, and not wait for a more important day like the High Holidays.

The reason is because one should not allow the opportunity of a mitzvah to pass. Moreover, it is quite conceivable that circumstances will later change and allow for additional observance. Therefore, we do not let the first chance pass. (Sources: Code of Jewish Law OC 90, Mishnah Berurah 28.)

As an important aside, Chanukah candles must be lit in (or at the entrance to) a home rather than out of doors. Thus, you should not light in actual "wilderness," but only after you've pitched your tent for the night.

There may be another reason why the first night is the one to focus on. Chanukah is celebrated for eight days to commemorate the one-day supply of oil that miraculously burned for eight days. But if you think about it, since there was enough oil to burn naturally for one night, nothing miraculous happened on that first night! So why shouldn't Chanukah be just seven days?!

There are many wonderful answers given to this question, highlighting the special aspect of the first day. Here are a few:

1) True, the miracle of the oil did not begin until the second day, and lasted for only seven days. But the Sages designated the first day of Chanukah in commemoration of the miraculous military victory.

2) Having returned to the Temple and found it in shambles, the Jews had no logical reason to think they would find any pure oil. The fact that the Maccabees didn't give up hope, and then actually found any pure oil at all, is in itself a miracle.

3) The Sages chose Chanukah, a festival that revolves around oil's ability to burn, as the time to teach the fundamental truth that even so-called "natural" events take place only because God wants them to.

The Talmudic Sage Rabbi Chanina Ben Dosa expressed this truth in explaining a miracle that occurred in his own home. Once, his daughter realized that she had lit the Shabbos candles with vinegar instead of oil. Rabbi Chanina calmed her, saying, "Why are you concerned! The One Who commanded oil to burn, can also command vinegar to burn!" The Talmud goes on to say that those Shabbos lights burned bright for many hours (Taanit 25a).

To drive this truth home, the Sages decreed that Chanukah be observed for eight days: The last seven to commemorate the miracle of the Menorah, and the first to remind us that even the “normal” burning of oil is only in obedience to God's wish.

In closing, I'm not sure what's stopping you from celebrating more than one day? At a minimum, you can light one candle sometime during the evening, and that fulfills the mitzvah of Chanukah - no “official Menorah” necessary. With so much joy to be had, why limit yourself to one night only?!

In 165 BCE, the Maccabees defeated the Greek army and rededicated the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Finding only one jar of pure oil, they lit the Menorah, which miraculously burned for eight days. Also on this day -- 1,100 years earlier -- Moses and the Jewish people completed construction of the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary that accompanied them during 40 years of wandering in the desert. The Tabernacle was not dedicated, however, for another three months; tradition says that the day of Kislev 25 was then "compensated" centuries later -- when the miracle of Chanukah occurred and the Temple was rededicated. Today, Jews around the world light a Chanukah menorah, to commemorate the miracle of the oil, and its message that continues to illuminate our lives today.

A person who utilizes suffering to arouse himself in spiritual matters will find consolation. He will recognize that even though the suffering was difficult for him, it nevertheless helped him for eternity.

When you see yourself growing spiritually through your suffering, you will even be able to feel joy because of that suffering.

They established these eight days of Chanukah to give thanks and praise to Your great Name(Siddur).

Jewish history is replete with miracles that transcend the miracle of the Menorah. Why is the latter so prominently celebrated while the others are relegated to relative obscurity?

Perhaps the reason is that most other miracles were Divinely initiated; i.e. God intervened to suspend the laws of nature in order to save His people from calamity.

The miracle of the Menorah was something different. Having defeated the Seleucid Greek invaders, the triumphant Jews entered the Sanctuary. There they found that they could light the Menorah for only one day, due to a lack of undefiled oil. Further, they had no chance of replenishing the supply for eight days. They did light the Menorah anyway, reasoning that it was best to do what was within their ability to do and to postpone worrying about the next day until such worry was appropriate. This decision elicited a Divine response and the Menorah stayed lit for that day and for seven more.

This miracle was thus initiated by the Jews themselves, and the incident was set down as a teaching for all future generations: concentrate your efforts on what you can do, and do it! Leave the rest to God.

While even our best and most sincere efforts do not necessarily bring about miracles, the teaching is nevertheless valid. Even the likelihood of failure in the future should not discourage us from any constructive action that we can take now.

Today I shall...

focus my attention on what it is that I can do now, and do it to the best of my ability.

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